Add Distance Apart Widget on iPhone

This guide shows you how to add the Distance Apart widget to your iPhone’s Home Screen or Lock Screen. The widget displays the distance between your current location and a chosen contact, making it easy to see how far away someone is at a glance. You’ll need an iPhone with iOS 17 or later and the Find My app (which comes preinstalled).

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone running iOS 17 or later.
• The Find My app (preinstalled on all iPhones).
• Location Services enabled for Find My (Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Find My).
• At least one contact who shares their location with you via Find My.

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone. It has a green icon with a blue radar-like circle.
2. Tap the “People” tab at the bottom of the screen. You’ll see a list of contacts who share their location with you.
3. Choose a contact from the list. Their location details will appear, including the distance from your current location.
4. Exit the Find My app and go to your Home Screen.
5. Enter jiggle mode by pressing and holding any empty area on the Home Screen until the icons start to wiggle. Alternatively, you can long-press a blank spot and tap “Edit” in the top-left corner.
6. Tap the “+” button in the top-left corner of the screen. This opens the widget gallery.
7. Search for “Find My” in the search bar at the top of the gallery, or scroll down to find it.
8. Select the Find My widget. You’ll see several size options: small, medium, and large. The small widget shows one contact’s distance; the medium and large widgets can show multiple contacts.
9. Choose a size by swiping through the previews or tapping on the one you prefer. Then tap “Add Widget” at the bottom.
10. Position the widget on your Home Screen by dragging it to your desired location. Tap “Done” in the top-right corner to exit jiggle mode.
11. Configure the widget to show the specific contact you want. On the Home Screen, long-press the widget and select “Edit Widget.” Then tap the contact field and choose the person from your list. The distance will now display on the widget.

Common Mistakes

• Choosing the wrong widget size: The small widget only shows one contact. If you want multiple contacts, select the medium or large size.
• Not having Location Services enabled: If Find My can’t access your location, the widget will show “Location Unavailable” or a blank distance.
• Forgetting to configure the widget: By default, the widget may show the first person in your list. You need to edit it to select the specific contact you care about.
• Adding the widget before the contact shares location: If the contact hasn’t shared their location with you, the widget will show “No Location” or “Not Sharing.” You’ll need to ask them to share.

Tips

• Use the Lock Screen widget: You can also add the Distance Apart widget to your Lock Screen. Press and hold the Lock Screen, tap “Customize,” then “Lock Screen,” and tap the “Add Widget” area. Choose Find My and select the contact.
• Refresh manually: The widget updates automatically, but you can force a refresh by tapping the widget to open Find My and then returning to the Home Screen.
• Check your privacy settings: Make sure you’re sharing your location with the contact as well, otherwise the distance may not display correctly. You can check this in Find My > People > [Contact] > Share My Location.
• Use the large widget for a family view: The large widget can show up to five contacts, which is handy for keeping track of family members.

Troubleshooting

Widget shows “No Location” or “Location Unavailable”:

• Verify that the contact is currently sharing their location with you. Ask them to open Find My and confirm they’re sharing.
• Check your own Location Services: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and ensure Find My is set to “While Using the App or Widgets.”
• Toggle Location Services off and on again, then restart your iPhone.

Widget shows the wrong contact:

• Long-press the widget and select “Edit Widget.” Tap the contact field and choose the correct person from the list.

Widget doesn’t appear in the gallery:

• Make sure you’re running iOS 17 or later. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to check.
• If you still can’t find it, restart your iPhone and try again.

Distance is inaccurate:

• Distance is calculated as a straight line (as the crow flies), not driving distance. This is expected behavior.
• Ensure both devices have a good GPS signal. Moving to an open area can improve accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add the Distance Apart widget to my iPad? Yes, if your iPad runs iPadOS 17 or later, you can add the same widget from the Find My app.

Why does the widget show a distance even when the person is in the same building? The distance is calculated using GPS coordinates, which can have an accuracy of a few meters. So it may show a small distance (e.g., 5 meters) even when you’re in the same room.

Can I see the distance in kilometers instead of miles? The widget uses the unit system set in your iPhone’s region settings. To change it, go to Settings > General > Language & Region and change the Measurement System to Metric.

Does the widget drain my battery? It uses location services, which can consume some battery, but it’s optimized. If you’re concerned, you can remove the widget when you don’t need it.

Can I add the widget for someone who doesn’t have an iPhone? Yes, as long as they share their location with you through Find My (which requires an Apple device). If they use an Android phone, they can’t share location with Find My.

How often does the widget update? It updates periodically, typically every few minutes, but it may update more frequently when you’re moving. You can also tap the widget to refresh it manually.

Related

• Fix Copy Paste Not Working in Chrome
• How to Add Zoom to Outlook: Step-by-Step
• VPN on iPhone: What It Is and How to Use It